Climate Commission chief backs solar power

Chief of the Climate Commission Tim Flannery has added his two cents on the issue of solar power by saying it will transform the way we use electricity in the future.

Made up of specialists from a variety of fields, the Climate Commission was established to provide Australians with independent information on environmental issues.

Tim is embarking on a quest to champion the virtues of renewable energy sources - with solar taking a front seat - starting with a speech to an audience at the Committee for Economic Development of Australia event in Melbourne.

The industry expert told the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) that clean energy is reaching a "tipping point" and that the current trend towards sustainable options is not going to be reversed.

And solar power was one of the main items on the agenda, with the professor claiming it will "drive a transformation" in how we move and utilise electricity.

''When we try to look forward a decade, with the last decade as our yardstick, what do we imagine our country will be like?" he questioned, adding: "It's hard to avoid the idea that solar ... will be commonplace."

Not only this, but he was quick to dispel any thoughts that Coalition plans to abolish the carbon tax could have any significant effect on this trend.

According to Tim, even if the party succeeded at the next election, renewables are here to stay - and not just in Australia.

''Globally it's clear that an irreversible trend has set in," he explained, highlighting developing economies such as India and Africa as locations where clean energy systems will be central to power plans.

Writing for the SMH, environmental editor Ben Cubby highlighted that production of solar cells is now 75 per cent cheaper than it was four years ago, with a 45 per cent drop in the last year alone.